The U.S. Department of Education's Equity and Excellence Commission will host a town hall Friday evening in Philadelphia to discuss school resources and how they affect educational opportunity. The meeting will feature a variety of national and local leaders, including Russlynn Ali, assistant secretary for the Office for Civil Rights; U.S. Rep Chaka Fattah (D-Pa.); Stephen Chen, executive director of the Equity and Excellence Commission; and Alberto Retana, director of community outreach for the U.S. Department of Education. The town hall will include presentations by regional education leaders as well as a forum for parents, teachers, students, school and local officials, and other community members to share their thoughts with the commission on important educational and financial issues.
In studying disparities in education, the commission is exploring the achievement gap with a focus on systems of finance and ways in which federal policies could address inequalities. Established Feb. 2 by the U.S. Department of Education, the commission is comprised of 27 members from a range of backgrounds, including education, law, tax, government, business and civil rights.
Note to editors: To RSVP for the event, please email [email protected], with “RSVP for April 29 Philadelphia Town Hall meeting” in the subject line.